What Venue???

So...planning a wedding can be stressful at the best of times, but personally I think the hardest part and a very early process is chosing the perfect wedding venue. Which venue will most reflect both of your tastes, be a stunning location, have enough room to comfortably seat all your guests, be avaliable on your chosen wedding date, have a good catering selection, friendly staff etc...your head spinning yet? In my experience as soon as you both have decided on a venue and a date then the rest of the planning will start falling into place.

Start by sitting down together and looking at your local wedding venues. If none of those take your fancy or are suitable for your capacity then start looking slightly further afield, maybe in your county or just outside. My recommendation, and I know this cant always be the case but try not to pick a venue that is further than 30 mins max driving distance from your church, civil wedding ceremony or family home. This is purely for the convienience of your guests and family. You want them to spend the majority of their time enjoying the event you have created for them rather than being stuck in traffic or getting lost.

As Dulce is based in Leicestershire and I would love you to take a look at some of my favourite and highly recommended  Leicestershire wedding venues and see if any of them appeal to you for your big day:

1. THE CITY ROOMS, LEICESTER

A stunning Georgian venue based in the heart of Leicester's City Centre, The City Rooms has always been my favourite. Its breath-taking ballroom exceeds all expectations, with two further rooms downstairs as well as a very modern bar area, there is ample space for your guests to enjoy the day.

For more info visit www.thecityrooms.co.uk

2. PRESTWOLD HALL, LEICESTERSHIRE



This Stately home is a gem set in the surrounding landscape. Its stunning gardens provide a beautiful backdrop for your wedding photos and its interior is sure to impress all your guests.

For more info visit www.prestwold-hall.com

3. BELVOIR CASTLE

 For a fairy tale wedding, this venue is for you, with three different rooms to choose from as well as a lakeside marquee avaliable this venue is where childhood wedding dreams become a reality.

For more info visit www.belvoircastle.com

So when your starting to plaan your wedding make deciding on a venue one of your first priorities. For more information about our services and how we can help you find your perfect wedding venue please visit www.dulcedesigns.co.uk

The Art of Henna...

As a traditional part of every Asian wedding, Henna is quickly becoming more of a hassle rather than the beautiful intricate body art that it should be appreciated for. Carys Schutz, owner of Dulce Designs and professional mendhi artist looks at why this extraordinary fine art is an essential part of the Asian culture and should never be over looked…

To me, Henna is an unrecognised art form. It is seen as a tradition that has to be honoured purely because that’s what it is…a tradition. I would like to see henna making a come back, I would like to see it appreciated for the true beauty and skill that it is. Before I became involved in the wedding industry I knew nothing about henna. I knew what it was and how it looked but that was about as far as my knowledge on the subject stretched. Now I am fully trained and I feel like I can really understand how important and meaningful this long standing tradition is.

 So what is Henna? And why is it such a key element in forming a tradition that dates all the way back to 12th Century? Henna is a completely natural dye that is extracted from the plant known as Lawsonia Inermis, the baby shoots of the plant are taken and ground into a fine powder. The rest of the plant is dried and ground to make hair products such as shampoos and hair dyes. Henna is not only used for decoration but can be used for medicinal purposes, in some case curing skin irritations and thinning hair.

 The science behind how Henna works has also always intrigued me. It’s such an amazing thing that just by applying this cold, smelly, brown paste to your skin it can create a beautiful temporary work of art that stains your skin for up to two weeks without creating any irritation and most of all is completely painless. Henna works by reacting with the Keratin protein in the skin creating a temporary stain on the first few layers of skin. It is partnered with oil, water and/or tea to create the darkest stain as possible.

 Art, to me is a way of expressing ones passion and Henna is an art form as well as a science that encompasses the love a bride has for her groom on a canvas as intimate as the brides body. The main reason for the tradition is originally to show the groom that the deeper the colour of his bride’s mendhi, the more love she has for him and the more their marriage will be built on strength and love. So if you are a bride looking to have mendhi done for your wedding I urge you to re think the reasons to why you are having it done. Do it, not purely out of tradition and because it’s what your family require you to do. Take pride in it and remember that the intricate patterns on your skin represent the love, strength, faith, passion that you will experience in your marriage.

 If you are interested in learning more about henna and the application of mendhi, Dulce Designs runs regular courses that will teach you more about this ancient art and how to turn a hobby into a business. If you are a bride interested in having mendhi done for your wedding day then please visit www.dulcedesigns.co.uk to view our portfolio.

 Please contact us on any of the following details; email us at info@dulcedesigns.co.uk or call us on 0778 955 0899. All images are copyright to Dulce Designs.

Why a Wedding Planner??

When I tell people that I’m a wedding planner you would probably be surprised and amused to hear that the majority of individuals automatically compare me to Jennifer Lopez in the hit film ‘The Wedding Planner’. Not because I’m a stunning Latino (I wish), but because the character Lopez plays optimises the stereotypical image that most have about wedding planners. The earpiece, the suit, the persona, the professionalism and the pure determination to make every wedding the perfect occasion for the bride and groom involved.

Even through this economic down turn, the wedding industry is surprisingly still thriving.
As long as there is love in the world there will always be weddings, regardless of the recent worldwide recession. Despite the financial restrictions, every couple still wants their dream wedding. Therefore where ever money can be saved it will be. Sadly that means for co-ordinators such as myself the expense most commonly avoided is the service of a wedding planner. This type of service has always been seen as a ‘luxury’ reserved for the rich and famous but you may be surprised to hear that recently wedding planners are being seen as one of the main components of the planning process.

For the brides that are working with a smaller budget, services can be offered just at the event for the day to arrange and execute every aspect of the wedding day. For those brides that are looking for a service that is slightly more personal, bespoke and completely dedicated to them, there is also an option to choose a full co-ordination package. This means that the couple will have their own co-ordinator from the beginning of the planning process, all the way through to their wedding day to help make sure that their vision is successfully made a reality.

Whichever arrangement works best for you, employing a wedding planner can actually be a lot more cost effective than you may think. Being well established in the business means that a wedding planner knows the best vendors and will have good working relationships with all the professionals. This in turn means that the couple can be reassured that not only are they getting the best services, but they are also getting the best in the business at the best price. With many couples, being very conscious about where they allocate their budget, most have realised that for all the advantages described above, the wedding co-ordination ends up paying for itself.



Give it some thought.For more information about our services please contact us. Please visit www.dulcedesigns.co.uk email us at info@dulcedesigns.co.uk or call us on 0778 955 0899

Bijal & Rikin - August 2010

This August bank holiday saw the wedding of Bijal & Rikin. The wedding was a week long extavaganza starting with the religious ceremonies and registry, followed by a week packed full and exciting parties and other events, ending with an amazing Hindu Ceremony  and reception. I met Bijal over a year ago at one of the many wedding fayres that Dulce has attended and it was a couple of weeks after her engagement she asked Dulce to help her with the co-ordination of her wedding. With some amazing visions from the bride herself, we managed to create a spectacular event each time, whether it was the Sargam or the Reception.

The Sunday morning of the civil registry was a beautifully sunny one. Married at the stunning Prestwold Hall, Loughborough, Bijal looked a vision in her white wedding gown. After the civil marriage and photos, which were taken by Maz Mashru, guests were invited to the Bride's home where there was a reception lunch prepared by Indigo Catering.  With a Purple and lilac theme the photos just don't seem to do the marquee justice.

The guests were treated to a champagne reception and a four course Italian menu prepared by the skilled chefs at Indigo catering.

The next event was the Mehfil followed by the Mendhi night, once again at the brides home. The bride and family had chosen a 60's and 70's Bollywood themed evening with a twist.

With a much needed break on Friday, Saturday was the Hindu wedding cermony and Reception party held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham. Bijal's vision for her mandap design was clean, elegant and open so all the focus could be centred on the wedding ceremony.

With the Hindu wedding complete the party could now begin and with a 3 hour turn around time for the venue the heat was on to get everything prepared for the Reception in the evening. The theme was pink and sweet. There were alot of things to keep the guests entertained, with a sweet bar and truffle table, jazz band and a photobooth. The evening was a magical time where family and friends could enjoy the food prepared by Madhu's and music by A Cool Ensemble and Blitz Entertainment.

Dulce Designs wishes Bijal & Rikin all the best in their married life together-May it be filled with love and happiness. We were honoured that you choose Dulce to be your wedding planners.

For more information about our services and other events we have done please visit http://www.dulcedesigns.co.uk/

Dulce Designs opens new Bridal Boutique in Leicester

On August 6th 2010 Dulce Designs-Weddings & Events opened its very first Bridal Boutique on Francis street, Leicester. Based in the heart of the chic Stoneygate Shops area, the Boutique boasts the best in Wedding planning, Decor, Stationery, Cakes and much much more. We are one of the first boutiques of its kind in the U.K to supply all the services you need to plan an unforgettable wedding day. Dulce Designs was first started in November 2007 and has gone from strength to strength since then. We pride ourselves to be one of the most individual and contemporary wedding planners in the U.K and the Bridal Boutique is one way in which we can showcase the latest trends and our most unique designs.

On Opening night...

The Shop Interior...

Wedding ideas and accessories...

The Boutique is also looking forward to receiving its very own designer wedding dresses at the beginning of October, with an in house designer as well as well-known South African wedding dress designs Chereen Anderson. Watch this space for more news!